FRIDAY FOTO 30 - A LIFETIME IN LIVERPOOL CINEMA

A tiny, grainy photograph of my father and a colleague in their 'office' - a cinema projection room in Liverpool.

Charlie Seaman (pictured left) spent his entire working life working in the cinema's of the North West, and I'm lucky to have a small selection of his photos in our collection to remember him by.

Dad was first employed as a trainee projectionist, aged only 16 years old. He worked initially in the Magnet cinema, which was situated in Picton Road, Wavertree and we have several photographs of him sitting on the roof of the cinema in the sunshine with some of his colleagues.

He went on to work in the Gaumont, Dingle-- along with my mother and aunt-- and I have many happy memories of attending the matinee shows which were played there.

He then went on to work at the Hippodrome in Everton and also the Odeon, Stanley Road, Bootle.

During one memorable Saturday, my father was full of flu and felt awful. He took me into work with him (I was around 16 years old at the time) so I could run the show for him, while he sat at the back of the projection room, reading his newspapers and drinking lots of tea.

During his time working as firstly a projectionist, and then as Chief Projectionist in the cinemas, Dad covered work at several of the key cinemas in the north-west including the main Odeon branches of Liverpool, Southport and Chester.

After more than 25 years service he finally retired from working for the Rank Organisation and obtained a projectionist job in the newly built Studios 123 in Mount Pleasant, Liverpool during the early 1970's.

The picture featured above shows Dad and another operator, identified as Jimmie, standing alongside one of the big projectors used at the Trocadero, Camden Street, Liverpool.

FRIDAY FOTO 27 - FAMILY HEIRLOOM - GERMAN BEER STEINS

Focussing on examples of some of the family heirlooms this week. 

In the photo are two German beer steins given to me by my Dad before he passed away. 

He was left them by his uncle, William Laite, whom he became close to after his mother died. Bill was in the Army and the rumour was that he brought them home after a posting over there. 

They are lovingly kept as heirlooms pride of place in our french dresser now. 

#BeerSteins #SeamanFamilyHistory #FamilyHeirlooms

FRIDAY FOTO 23 - SPACE ROCKET AT THE GAUMONT - 1950's

Gaumont cinema, Princes Park

This tiny photograph, heavily underexposed and covered in scratches, gives a view of the Gaumont cinema on Park Road, Princes Park.

Dingle Lane lies off to the left, while Gredlington Street separates the cinema from the advertising boards in the right of the photograph. Part of the Salvation Army hall can be seen to the far right. The Dingle tram/bus sheds stand off to the right of the photograph.

The photo was taken by my father, Charles Seaman, during the period when he was working in the building as a cinema projectionist, employed by the Rank Organisation who owned the cinema itself.

As well as the tram lines set into the road and the black and white 'Belisha' crossing pole to the left, the photo is notable for a large 'space rocket' which has been fitted to the roof of the canopy over the main doors. Above the rocket is suspended something which looks suspiciously like a TV satellite dish, but if one remembers that the photo was taken during the 1950's, this explanation would be highly unlikely. I believe it is more credible that the round object is part of the advertisement package and represents the Moon, or a planet such as Mars or Venus, to tie in with the space rocket which stands beneath it.

As I mentioned in one of my other posts on the blog, it was common for the film companies to advertise their productions by sending out items which tied into the films they were about to show. Unfortunately, the wording on the posters around the building in this photo are unclear, but it is likely that the two items had been placed there to advertise one of the big technicolour science-fiction feature films which were coming to the Gaumont. 

Several likely movies can be brought to mind - 'Destination Moon' (1950), 'The Day The Earth Stood Still' or 'Flight to Mars' (1951), 'War of the Worlds' (1953), 'This Island Earth' (1955), 'Forbidden Planet' (1956), 'From the Earth to the Moon' or 'Missile to the Moon' (1958). I'm thinking that it could even be an advert for 'Have Rocket, Will Travel'-- a 1959 comedy film featuring three of my childhood favourites; Curly, Larry and Moe-- the Three Stooges. Perhaps not. But unless someone else can come up with a positive answer for us, then this might forever remain to be a cinematic mystery for the family.

I'm just thankful that the Rank Organisation wasn't advertising 'Attack of the Giant Leeches', 'Attack of the Crab Monsters' or 'Attack of the 50 Foot Woman'... 

The canopy probably wouldn't have been big enough and they would all have had to be tied onto the roof!    

    

95a SMITHDOWN ROAD - BIRTHPLACE OF CHARLES SEAMAN

One Sunday morning, a few years back, I decided to go and take a look along Smithdown Road, Liverpool to try and see if I could locate the place where my Dad had been born.

On arriving and parking the car across the road, I found this sight before me.

95A, the flat where my grand-mother gave birth to him, is the one with the missing front wall. 

Not only had I found the property where he had been born, but I could actually see into the rooms themselves!

The location didn't last long after this, for the area was scheduled for redevelopment and the property was demolished. I think only a few weeks afterwards!

I can't help but think that someone was behind my decision to go out with the camera on that day.

It had been my last opportunity... and I'm so glad that I took it. 

CHARLES SEAMAN - MY THANKS TO YOU

Philips EL3527 - the old valve tape recorder owned by my Dad...


CHARLES SEAMAN - MY THANKS TO YOU (SOUNDCLOUD AUDIO CLIP)


Recorded on a Philips EL3527 tape recorder, a precious sound byte of my Dad - Charles Seaman - playing his Egmond acoustic guitar. The recording must date back to around 1968/69 when he first bought the guitar from Hessys Music shop in Liverpool.

He plays and sings a simple rendition of 'My Thanks To You', a ballad recorded during the 1950's by artists such as Steve Conway and Connie Francis. So far it is the only song I have found in my archive of his, as he had the annoying habit of using the same tapes over and over again to record both himself and also my brother and I.

At the end of the clip, as he turns off the tape after finishing the recording, another clip is revealed - a quick snippet of yours truly singing 'My Old Man's A Dustman' by Lonnie Donegan. I have more of this from another tape thankfully...but I wish I had more of Dad.

Looking at photographs and movies is one thing, but hearing his voice is priceless

FAMILY HISTORY - HUGHSON STREET, LIVERPOOL 8

HUGHSON STREET - LIVERPOOL 8 (click for video)

This is a short segment of converted movie film showing some of our family in Hughson Street, Toxteth, Liverpool. As well as seeing a few of the family themselves, there are also glimpses of the area around my gran and grandad's house, with Northumberland Street at one end, after passing Prophet Street just seen on the right. Toxteth Street is at the other end, across Park Street which led up toward our school.

The film was shot around 1965 / 1966 and you can clearly see the 'bommies' - those empty spaces where houses once stood before they were blasted by the German bombs which fell during the war. One of them lies alongside our own house, the bomb falling as my Mum and parents sheltered in their bomb shelter, which stood in the yard just to the left of where my grandma was standing in the above photograph. My very existence being saved by a mixture of pure chance as to where the bomb fell, and also a few layers of sturdy brick. 

 Finally there are some shots of the cobbled streets, new housing being built and also our own back-yard - whitewashed to make it look as sparkling as the washing Gran used to hang on the line.  

Mr brother Gary playing my plastic 'Beatles' guitar, and also myself - on the same toy drum-kit I played on March 1st 1966 while sitting in front of their black and white TV, watching a broadcast of the Beatles live from Shea Stadium.

This is just a short glimpse of our lives back then... I only wish I had more. 

I hope you enjoy it...

FAMILY HISTORY - FOUND HIM!

I'm just so pleased!

I've found him! 

There was just this one priceless sound-clip, just a couple of minutes long which I'd mislaid in all my reel to reel tapes. 

My Dad, 1969 or so... the only recording I've been able to find of him singing and playing his guitar. 

Now I've got him back again and digitised him for posterity... but its got to be said, his guitar needs a tune though! ;-) 

#PositivelyEcstatic!

FAMILY HISTORY - GERMAN BEERMUGS

GERMAN BEERMUGS

A pair of china beermugs given to me by my Dad before he died. 

He was left them by his uncle, William Laite, who he became close to after his mother died. Bill was in the Army and the rumour was that he brought them home after he had worked a stint over there.

They pride of place and are family heirlooms in our french dresser now. 

#Project365 #Photoaday #Beermugs

William Laite - our 'Uncle Bill'

FAMILY HISTORY - GRANDFATHER'S LAST LETTER

I have a letter in my possession.

It is addressed to my father, who was then living at 25 Hughson Street in Toxteth, Liverpool.

The letter was written by my grandfather Joseph Seaman, and I am led to believe that it was the last correspondence he sent to his son before he eventually passed away in 1961.

The letter written by my grandfather Joseph...

The text of the letter is as follows:

‘Hello Son…

Just a line to let you know that I have recovered from my ailment and am back at Delphside again. I would have wrote before but but with having no material for writing with me and of course with being ill I have not felt like doing anything at all believe me.

Well son don’t worry about me now because I am allright now to a certain extent I have to go back in a months time but I don’t suppose they will keep me in although one leg has gone septic since I have come out but I am under thier doctor so think it will be alright but you have enough worry of your own without mine well son don’t worry to much about it, because its just one of those things give my regards and thats the lot.

Dad.’

I haven’t yet found a photograph of my grandfather as an adult and my mother’s last memory of him is of a hospital visit she made to see him. She can’t recall which hospital, or just who went with her to visit him, but she does remember that he started to cry at the time. My Dad couldn’t visit as often as he would have liked to, and as can be seen by the content of the letter, it seems he was actively dissuaded to do so by his father himself.

In researching the letter I found that ‘Delphside’ was one of the previous names for a part of, what is now called Whiston Hospital, Prescot, near Liverpool. The institution originally had opened in 1843 to house the mentally ill, but it also became a Poor Law Infirmary - a place where both the mental and physical health needs of the poor in the surrounding districts were catered for. At the time when my grandfather was there, the hospital had wards which catered for people with infectious diseases and also had a wing which provided respite care. I think my grandfather may have been in one of the latter wards when he composed the letter.

Joseph Seaman as a baby...

After I was given this document by my mother I was touched by it in a number of ways.

My grandfather’s written words provided me with a small insight into what he had been going through in relation to his health perhaps, and also went some way to support the facts my mother could remember about him. I had also been rather frustrated through not being able to find an adult photograph of him, therefore I found it an immense privilege to be able to hold in my own hands the three pieces of paper on which he had written.

However, I realized a little later that there was one further detail contained in the text which would perhaps prove to be more important to me than any of the others.

On the second page Joseph wrote to my father; ‘…but you have enough worry of your own without mine…’. The letter itself was not dated, however the postmark on the envelope confirmed that it had been posted at 6.30pm on 14 June 1956. This date was significant, for eleven days later a baby was born to my mother in Sefton General Hospital, Liverpool.

That new baby, the ‘worry’ my grandfather mentioned in his letter, was me.

Joseph eventually died on 18th December 1961 at Whiston Hospital after suffering a stroke, brought on by pneumonia and bronchitis. He was 58 years old - a year older than I now am as I write this.

From what I understand, my grandfather spent the final years of his life being treated in hospital, and not once does my mum remember taking myself or my brother in to visit him, a fact which I find very sad indeed. However, it gives me some satisfaction in knowing that although I did not get to physically meet him, I realize that at least on this one occasion I have proof that he thought of me.

I have certainly thought of him many times since.

CHARLES SEAMAN - 111 / 113 MILL STREET - 1901 CENSUS

This is the census record for Mill Street in 1901, showing my great-great uncle, Charles Seaman, living with his wife Mary Alice in her mother's property. Her mother was a widow and was named Jane Edwards. At the time they were living here in Mill Street Charles was said to be 33 years of age and his wife was 32. They do not appear to have any children listed at this time at the address.